by Isi Esene

The Rivers state police command has explained the reason for barring the governor of the state, Rotimi Amaechi from entering his residence through the Forces Avenue main entrance to the Government House.

The governor who was on Thursday returning from an inspection tour of projects in the state was barred by gun-totting policemen who barricaded the entrance.

According to the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Angela Angela Agabe (DSP), the entrance was blocked as a measure to prevent a breakdown of law and order after a splinter group of the Peoples’ Democratic Party in the state opened a secretariat on the same road. All roads leading to Forces Avenue were immediately closed.

[READ: Governor Amaechi’s convoy blocked by police (PHOTOS)]

The governor’s Chief of Staff, Tony Okocha had earlier led members of a faction of the PDP to open the secretariat at 38, Forces Avenue, Old GRA, Port Harcourt. The ‘secretariat’ was, however, later closed down by the police who were said to be acting on superior orders.

“You can’t do this. Not here. We will not allow it,” ordered the police deputy commissioner, Sam Ogaora, who reportedly led the police team.

“We will go all out to ensure that we maintain law and order in this state. Anybody that takes the law into his hands will be dealt with accordingly. That is exactly what we have done here. We don’t have any secretariat here and anybody who has come here to hoist any flag will be dealt with. Nothing more than that,” he said.

While explaining the closure, the state police PPRO says the governor could have made use of other entrances to the Government House seeing no reason for the ruckus being generated. “The governor has other routes to get to the Government House. So I don’t see how this should be an issue,” Agabe said.

While narrating the incident to newsmen yesterday, Ibim Semenitari, the state commissioner for information said, “The governor was coming back with his visitors, former speakers of Houses of Assembly, he was blocked on his way into the government house, leading to his private entrance.

“The police blocked the road, the governor came down and identified himself, but they told him they had orders from the commissioner of police.

“Gov. Amaechi, therefore, had to go through a longer route to get to the Government House,’’ she said.

Semenitari described the action as an insult on the office of the governor of Rivers.

President Goodluck Jonathan had yesterday landed in Port Harcourt on his way to his home state Bayelsa to attend an Anglican Church organised event.